Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal substrate for a dye-sensitized solar cell, and more particularly, it relates to a metal substrate for a dye-sensitized solar cell including a metal layer having corrosion resistance against an electrolyte of a dye-sensitized solar cell element.
Description of the Background Art
A metal substrate for a dye-sensitized solar cell including a metal layer having corrosion resistance against an electrolyte of a dye-sensitized solar cell element is known in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-55935, for example.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-55935 discloses a dye-sensitized solar cell including a glass substrate, arranged on a light incidence side, having a striped platinum electrode formed on a surface opposite to the light incidence side, a titanium substrate (metal substrate for a dye-sensitized solar cell), made of Ti, arranged on a side opposite to the light incidence side, a titania film arranged on the surface of the titanium substrate and an iodine electrolyte charged into a space between the titania film and the platinum electrode in a state where the titania film and the platinum electrode are arranged to be opposed to each other. A sensitizing pigment absorbing light is adsorbed to the titania film. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-55935 discloses a point that a metal substrate made of a titanium alloy or stainless can be employed in place of the titanium substrate made of Ti. The metal substrate made of Ti, a Ti alloy or stainless has corrosion resistance against an electrolyte of a dye-sensitized solar cell element.
However, while the dye-sensitized solar cell disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-55935 can keep corrosion resistance against the electrolyte of the dye-sensitized solar cell element due to the metal substrate made of Ti, a Ti alloy or stainless, electrical loss is disadvantageously easily caused in the metal substrate due to relatively high electrical resistance of Ti, a Ti alloy or stainless constituting the metal substrate. Therefore, power generation efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell is disadvantageously reduced.